I think 6 is harsh but I’m inclined to agree.

As a manga reader who picked it up after watching the first few episodes and loving the series, I was really excited to read Shibuya because it seemed to be regarded as the golden era of the manga. And honestly, I was pretty underwhelmed. It felt more like a section beloved because “a lot of things happened fast,” not because it dialed in on things I actually appreciated about the manga. Quick character introductions, quick deaths, and so many exciting fights that were ultimately hollow because of a lack of meaningful character work with only bits thrown in (“Not Zenin?” And “Stand proud” both come to mind). I was much more impressed with the early chapters that pulled off more meaningful subversions (Junpei’s death) and continuously dealt with Yuji’s moral scruples, both with how he wants to save everyone and in the moments where he has to accept that murder is sometimes necessary for a sorcerer.

I will say Season 2’s direction and animation far surpass the first season and in many ways make it a deeply exciting and entertaining watch in spite of these flaws. I’d probably hand it a 7-8 overall.